People have been informed that they may have to repay £300 if they fail to meet one of three requirements. This comes after changes were made to the winter fuel payment.
Three Reasons Pensioners May Need to Repay the £300 Winter Fuel Payment to the DWP
By Lydia Amazouz
Published on 14 October 2024 08:51
People have been told they might need to repay £300 if they don’t do one of three things. This follows changes to the winter fuel payment.
Pensioners Warned About Repaying the Winter Fuel Payment Amid Changes
The payment will now be means-tested, whereas before it was available to everyone. Labour has faced criticism since announcing this change earlier this year, as reported by BirminghamLive.
In July, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that the allowance will now only go to people who receive means-tested payments from the DWP, like Pension Credit. This change is difficult for many state pensioners who have been dealing with the rising cost of living in recent years, especially with energy bills going up.
Pensioners are now being warned that they could have to pay the money back if they:
- Don’t report a change in their circumstances
- Give incorrect information
- Are overpaid by the DWP.
People in the UK are being urged to tell the DWP about any changes that could affect their payments to avoid problems. You can report changes by calling the Winter Fuel Payment Centre at 0800 731 0160. For those outside the UK, the DWP helpline is available at +44 (0)191 218 7777.
Concerns Grow for Pensioners Over Winter Fuel Payment Changes
Age UK's charity director, Caroline Abrahams, recently said: "If [Labour] is dead set on pressing ahead, the very least they should do is to greatly expand the numbers of pensioners who will receive a WFP beyond the small group they have so far said will retain it."
She suggested that Labour could "automatically give the Payment to pensioners on other benefits, such as Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Personal Independence Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carers Allowance."
However, she also mentioned that even this wouldn’t be enough because many pensioners on low incomes or in vulnerable situations would still miss out on the Winter Fuel Payment, which they "can ill afford to do so."